Cyber Uncut

• CONTESTED GROUND: Inside the information battlespace – how the creative industry supports national security

  In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson and Phil Tarrant are joined by Simon Bergman, CEO of M+C Saatchi World Services, to unpack the evolving landscape of grey zone warfare and the role of creative industries in modern conflict. Drawing on decades of operational and commercial experience, Bergman explores how advertising expertise is being harnessed to support government information operations: crafting narratives, influencing audiences, and shaping perceptions in the contested information environment. Thompson and Bergman discuss the cultural and operational divide between government and industry, and how M+C Saatchi World Services is bridging this gap through a hybrid team of former military personnel and creative professionals. Together, they examine how this model can enable faster, more effective responses in the grey zone. The conversation also turns to the impact of artificial intelligence on information warfare. While acknowledging AI’s ability to enhance speed and reach, Bergman stresses the irreplaceable value of human insight in crafting authentic, effective messaging. Finally, the team reflects on Australia’s information warfare capability, with Thompson calling for greater investment and deeper collaboration with industry to keep pace with adversaries operating below the threshold of open conflict. Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

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• Productivity Commission goes pro-AI, ShinyHunters continues Salesforce hacking spree, and a new ransomware operator emerges

  In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft discuss the future of AI and copyright in Australia, ShinyHunters and their relationship to the Scattered Spider hacking collective, and a new ransomware operator targeting small businesses in the ANZ region. Hollingworth and Croft kick open things up with a discussion on the Australian Productivity Commission’s suggestion that AI regulations in Australia should be eased, an idea that the pair are not impressed by. After a short chat on the latest developments with Elon Musk’s Grok AI, Hollingworth and Croft discuss the latest wave of Salesforce-related hacks and the possible links between two hacking groups, ShinyHunters and Scattered Spider. The pair wrap things up with the emergence of a new ransomware operation that has already targeted businesses in Australia and New Zealand. Called PEAR, the group focuses purely on data theft over encryption, which seems to be an emerging trend in ransomware operations. Enjoy the episode, The Cyber Uncut team

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• CONTESTED GROUND: Regional flashpoints and economic headwinds – Australia’s strategic dilemma

  In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson, Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman unpack the Cambodia–Thai military confrontation and Australia’s economic landscape.  Tarrant and Thompson begin the podcast reflecting on Exercise Talisman Sabre, highlighting how the biennial drills continue to grow in scale and strategic significance with the involvement of multiple partner nations, the live-fire deployment of HIMARS systems, and the strengthening of interoperability between allied forces. The conversation then turns to rising regional tensions, specifically, the flare-up on the Cambodia–Thailand border. Garman explores the historical context behind the clashes and the implications of leaked diplomatic communications, offering a broader perspective on the fluid and often volatile nature of Southeast Asian geopolitics. Zooming out further, the hosts examine internal shifts within the Chinese military. Thompson analyses the recent purges of senior People’s Liberation Army figures and what these changes might signal about Beijing’s strategic posture in the lead-up to the widely discussed 2027 timeline regarding Taiwan. Finally, the team brings the conversation back to Australian shores, with Tarrant raising concerns over domestic defence priorities while Garman shares his concerns over the national security implications of Australia’s sluggish economy.  Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

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• Atlassian layoffs, Qantas hackers revealed, and hacking on the frontlines of the war in Ukraine

  In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft discuss the Commonwealth Bank and Atlassian laying off staff to make way for AI, new developments in the Qantas hack, and Ukrainian hackers targeting Aeroflot. Hollingworth and Croft kick things off with some worrying AI news: one of Australia’s largest banks and Atlassian announce staff layoffs as the two companies invest in artificial intelligence. Is AI finally coming for our jobs? The pair then move on to local news, with the possibility that the Qantas hacker has now been identified – and it might not be the hacking collective everyone’s been thinking of, but rather a group called ShinyHunters, a group named after the Pokéman series of video games. The podcast concludes with a discussion of a successful Ukrainian hacking campaign that disrupted the services of Russian airline Aeroflot, causing flight cancellations across the country. Enjoy the episode, The Cyber Uncut team

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• Trump and AI, Qantas hacker comms, and Aussie political party hacked

  In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft discuss Donald Trump’s use and support of AI, the Genea fertility and Qantas hacks, and the United Australia Party hanging its members out to dry in the wake of a data breach. The pair open up with news of Trump’s posting of an AI rendition of Barack Obama being arrested in the Oval Office, and his suggestion that AI developers shouldn’t have to worry about copyright when building their AI models. Hollingworth and Croft then move on to local news, with Genea going through the process of contacting its patients with confirmed news of the data impacted by its hack earlier in the year. The Qantas hack continues to make news, as court documents reveal its communications with the hackers behind its data breach, and the pair then discuss Microsoft’s woes over a dangerous vulnerability in its SharePoint platform. The podcast concludes with a discussion of the United Australia Party’s poor form following a hack that compromised the personal data of up to 80,000 members. Enjoy the episode, The Cyber Uncut team

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